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AI chatbots refuse to produce ‘controversial’ output − why that’s a free speech problem

  • Written by Jordi Calvet-Bademunt, Research Fellow and Visiting Scholar of Political Science, Vanderbilt University
imageAI chatbots restrict their output according to vague and broad policies.taviox/iStock via Getty Images

Google recently made headlines globally because its chatbot Gemini generated images of people of color instead of white people in historical settings that featured white people. Adobe Firefly’s image creation tool saw similar issues. This...

Read more: AI chatbots refuse to produce ‘controversial’ output − why that’s a free speech problem

Oman serves as a crucial back channel between Iran and the US as tensions flare in the Middle East

  • Written by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Fellow for the Middle East at the Baker Institute, Rice University
imageIran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, meets his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, in Tehran on July 17, 2023.Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images

Prior to launching a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel on April 13, 2024, Iran reportedly got word to Washington that its response to an earlier strike on its embassy compound in...

Read more: Oman serves as a crucial back channel between Iran and the US as tensions flare in the Middle East

Removing PFAS from public water systems will cost billions and take time – here are ways you can filter out harmful ‘forever chemicals’ at home

  • Written by Kyle Doudrick, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame
imagePFAS are showing up in water systems across the U.S.Jacek Dylag/Unsplash, CC BY

Chemists invented PFAS in the 1930s to make life easier: Nonstick pans, waterproof clothing, grease-resistant food packaging and stain-resistant carpet were all made possible by PFAS. But in recent years, the growing number of health risks found to be connected to these...

Read more: Removing PFAS from public water systems will cost billions and take time – here are ways you can...

Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus is able to support life − my research team is working out how to detect extraterrestrial cells there

  • Written by Fabian Klenner, Postdoctoral Scholar in Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington
imageScientists could one day find traces of life on Enceladus, an ocean-covered moon orbiting Saturn.NASA/JPL-Caltech, CC BY-SA

Saturn has 146 confirmed moons – more than any other planet in the solar system – but one called Enceladus stands out. It appears to have the ingredients for life.

From 2004 to 2017, Cassini – a joint mission...

Read more: Saturn’s ocean moon Enceladus is able to support life − my research team is working out how to...

Fermented foods sustain both microbiomes and cultural heritage

  • Written by Andrew Flachs, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Purdue University
imageEach subtle cultural or personal twist to a fermented dish is felt by your body's microbial community.microgen/iStock via Getty Images

Many people around the world make and eat fermented foods. Millions in Korea alone make kimchi. The cultural heritage of these picklers shape not only what they eat every time they crack open a jar but also...

Read more: Fermented foods sustain both microbiomes and cultural heritage

Native American voices are finally factoring into energy projects – a hydropower ruling is a victory for environmental justice on tribal lands

  • Written by Emily Benton Hite, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Saint Louis University

The U.S. has a long record of extracting resources on Native lands and ignoring tribal opposition, but a decision by federal energy regulators to deny permits for seven proposed hydropower projects suggests that tide may be turning.

As the U.S. shifts from fossil fuels to clean energy, developers are looking for sites to generate electricity from...

Read more: Native American voices are finally factoring into energy projects – a hydropower ruling is a...

Reagan’s great America shining on a hill twisted into Trump’s dark vision of Christian nationalism

  • Written by Diane Winston, Professor and Knight Center Chair in Media & Religion, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

In August 1982, Ronald Reagan’s father-in-law was dying. Nancy Reagan’s beloved dad, Loyal Davis, was an atheist – a troubling fact to the 40th president. So Reagan penned a private, handwritten note in which he recounted how the prayers of colleagues and friends had cured him of a painful stomach ulcer.

Giving hope for what lay...

Read more: Reagan’s great America shining on a hill twisted into Trump’s dark vision of Christian nationalism

Know thyself − all too well: Why Taylor Swift’s songs are philosophy

  • Written by Jessica Flanigan, Professor of Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law, University of Richmond
image'Fearless' on stage − and in introspection. Ashok Kumar/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Taylor Swift isn’t just a billionaire songwriter and performer. She’s also a philosopher.

As a Swiftie and a philosopher, I’ve found that this claim surprises Swifties and philosophers alike. But once her fans learn a bit...

Read more: Know thyself − all too well: Why Taylor Swift’s songs are philosophy

Worried about housing shortages and soaring prices? Your community’s zoning laws could be part of the problem

  • Written by Jessica Trounstine, Professor of Political Science, Vanderbilt University
imageMany cities prohibit duplexes and high-rises. Although residents enjoy the extra space, it contributes to housing costs.Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Local governments often try to combat housing costs and create affordable housing by passing legislation that changes current zoning and land-use regulations. But...

Read more: Worried about housing shortages and soaring prices? Your community’s zoning laws could be part of...

More Articles ...

  1. Other states, like Arizona, could resurrect laws on abortion, LGBTQ+ issues and more that have been lying dormant for more than 100 years
  2. ‘The former guy’ versus ‘Sleepy Joe’ – why Biden and Trump are loath to utter each other’s name
  3. Supreme Court to consider whether local governments can make it a crime to sleep outside if no inside space is available
  4. More climate-warming methane leaks into the atmosphere than ever gets reported – here’s how satellites can find the leaks and avoid wasting a valuable resource
  5. In the age of cancel culture, shaming can be healthy for online communities – a political scientist explains when and how
  6. Indian protesters pull from poetic tradition to resist Modi’s Hindu nationalism
  7. Grizzly bear conservation is as much about human relationships as it is the animals
  8. Exploding stars send out powerful bursts of energy − I’m leading a citizen scientist project to classify and learn about these bright flashes
  9. Drugs that aren’t antibiotics can also kill bacteria − new method pinpoints how
  10. Deepfake detection improves when using algorithms that are more aware of demographic diversity
  11. The US is losing access to its bases in Niger − here’s why that’s a big deal
  12. Foundations are using so many confusing words that few people can figure out what they’re doing
  13. Trump’s New York felony charges are going to trial – what the images might show when the business fraud case kicks off
  14. Germany’s turning point: 2 years into strategic pivot, progress made bodes well for the US, NATO and the world
  15. Rural counties increasingly rely on prisons to provide firefighters and EMTs who work for free, but the inmates have little protection or future job prospects
  16. Taylor Swift’s homage to Clara Bow
  17. 5 questions schools and universities should ask before they purchase AI tech products
  18. 4 reasons the practice of canceling weakens higher education
  19. Human brains and fruit fly brains are built similarly – visualizing how helps researchers better understand how both work
  20. Marijuana tax revenues fall short of projections in many states, including Colorado
  21. Does ‘virtue signaling’ pay off for entrepreneurs? We studied 81,799 Airbnb listings to find out
  22. From thousands to millions to billions to trillions to quadrillions and beyond: Do numbers ever end?
  23. Shadow war no more: Hostilities between Israel and Iran have strayed into direct warfare – is there any going back?
  24. ‘I’m not black, I’m O.J.’: What O.J. Simpson’s life showed about transcending race and being trapped by it
  25. Has the media learned anything since the O.J. Simpson trial?
  26. The hidden risk of letting AI decide – losing the skills to choose for ourselves
  27. The South’s aging water infrastructure is getting pounded by climate change – fixing it is also a struggle
  28. A monumental case, unfolding in a court of law and a court of public opinion – Trump goes on trial
  29. A young Black scientist discovered a pivotal leprosy treatment in the 1920s − but an older colleague took the credit
  30. Colorado is latest state to try turning off the electrical grid to prevent wildfires − a complex, technical operation pioneered in California
  31. Nitazenes found in 5 overdose deaths in Philly – here’s what they are and why they’re so deadly
  32. The unfinished business of John F. Kennedy’s vision for world peace
  33. Medieval Europe was far from democratic, but that didn’t mean tyrants got a free pass
  34. How Iran responds to Damascus attack could determine trajectory of conflict in the Middle East
  35. Taxes are due even if you object to government policies or doubt the validity of the 16th Amendment’s ratification
  36. The backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion in business is in full force − but myths obscure the real value of DEI
  37. How jurors will be selected in Trump’s legal cases - a criminal law expert explains
  38. Starbucks seeks Supreme Court protection from being preemptively ordered to rehire baristas who say they were fired for union-promoting activities
  39. I spent a decade helping Afghan girls make educational progress − and now the Taliban are using these 3 reasons to keep them out of school
  40. Elephant tourism often involves cruelty – here are steps toward more humane, animal-friendly excursions
  41. Domestic violence survivors seek homeless services from a system that often leaves them homeless
  42. Personalized cancer treatments based on testing drugs quickly leads to faster treatment, better outcomes
  43. Newly discovered genetic variant that causes Parkinson’s disease clarifies why the condition develops and how to halt it
  44. PFAS ‘forever chemicals’: Why EPA set federal drinking water limits for these health-harming contaminants
  45. Infections after surgery are more likely due to bacteria already on your skin than from microbes in the hospital − new research
  46. Bollywood is playing a large supporting role in India’s elections
  47. New York City greenlights congestion pricing – here’s how this toll plan is expected to improve traffic, air quality and public transit
  48. Using research to solve societal problems starts with building connections and making space for young people
  49. Trump pushes the limits of every restriction he faces – including threatening judges and their families
  50. Talking to Americans reveals the diversity behind the shared opinion ‘the country is on the wrong track’